Paddle Logger - Water Sports Tracker

Paddle Logger:

The Ultimate App for Water Sports Enthusiasts

Paddle Logger is a mobile application designed for kayakers, stand-up paddleboarders, and other water sports enthusiasts. The app uses GPS technology to track your statistics while you are out on the water. The app also allows you to record photos and notes about your paddling trips, which you can share with friends or post on social media. It is available only on Apple iOS at this point but they plan on offering an Android option shortly.

If you are a kayaker, stand-up paddleboarder, or any other kind of water sports enthusiast, you know that keeping track of your performance metrics while you are out on the water can be a challenge. That's where Paddle Logger comes in. This mobile app is the ultimate tool for tracking your distance, speed, route, and other metrics while you are on the water.

Paddle Logger offers a free version and a paid version. The free version offers the basics of GPS tracking with distance over time, as well as split times, and the ability to add pictures to your trips. The free version will be adequate for most recreational paddlers. While the paid subscription comes with detailed metrics for your splits and heart rate, as well as organizing your data, and a better map experience. Lastly, the paid version gives you access to PaddleLIVE®, an automated float plan that will connects you to your friends on land and will text them your location if you don’t check in within a certain time. If you paddle alone for training, you need PaddleLIVE®.

Key Features of Paddle Logger (some are only on the paid plan)

Paddle Logger is packed with features that make it an essential tool for water sports athletes. Here are some of the key features of the app:

1. GPS Tracking: Paddle Logger uses GPS technology to track your distance, speed, and route while you are out on the water. This means you can easily track your progress over time and see how your performance is improving.

2. Offline Maps: Paddle Logger allows you to download maps of your paddling area so that you can use the app even when you are offline. This is especially useful if you are paddling in an area with limited cellular coverage or for over night or long haul paddles.

3. Weather Conditions: Paddle Logger provides real-time weather updates, so you can stay up to date on changing weather conditions and plan your paddling trips accordingly.

4. Photo and Note Capture: With Paddle Logger, you can capture photos and notes about your paddling trips, which you can share with friends or post on social media. This is a great way to document your adventures and inspire others to get out on the water.

5. Personalized Dashboard: Paddle Logger allows you to customize your dashboard to show the metrics that are most important to you. This means you can see the information you need at a glance and focus on improving your performance.

I have been using the free version for a few years now and I like Paddle Logger for a few major reasons besides it can tracks my distance and speed. I find the interface much more userfriendly to see the maps and the distance traveled. The other big reason I like Paddle Logger over other sports tracking/mapping platforms is that it is connected to my apple watch and I can start, stop, pause, and keep track of my heart rate all on my wrist while paddling (all still part of the free version). We all know how hard it can be to get our phones out of our pocket or dry bag while trying to take pictures or begin and end a distance tracker. The other big tracker that people like to use is Strava, and Strava is an amazing app that tracks lots of other sports and activities, but since most of my tracking is done while SUPing, Strava just seems to cumbersome for me at this point. I believe Strava has streamed lined its interface but since Paddle Logger is made for paddlers by paddlers, I feel a little obligation to stick with them.

In 2022 a graduate student doing market research for Paddle Logger reached out to me to talk about features I liked and things I would change. I respected the small business-ness of this process. The graduate student set an appointment with me to call and talk about a few questions about Paddle Logger. She asked me about why I use it, what I liked, what my paddling goals where, and what I would change. This is another reason that I lean more towards Paddle Logger over Strava.

Paddle Logger is definately the ultimate app for water sports enthusiasts. The GPS tracking, offline maps, real-time weather updates, photo and note capture, and personalized dashboard, Paddle Logger is the perfect tool for tracking your performance, planning your trips, and connecting with other water sports enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned paddler or just starting out, Paddle Logger is the perfect app for enhancing your water sports experience.